Differences in Achilles tendon mechanical properties between professional ballet dancers and collegiate athletes utilizing shear wave elastography.

Purpose: To report normative stiffness parameters obtained using shear wave elastography in dorsiflexion from the Achilles tendons in asymptomatic professional ballet dancers and compare them with college-level athletes.

Methods: An Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study consists of 28 professional ballet dancers and 64 asymptomatic collegiate athletes. The athletes were further subdivided into runner and non-runner disciplines.

Differences in peripheral microcirculatory blood flow regulation in chronic kidney disease based on wavelet analysis of resting near-infrared spectroscopy.

Vascular impairment is closely related to increased mortality in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this study was to assess impairments in the regulation of peripheral microvascular perfusion in patients with CKD based on time-frequency spectral analysis of resting near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) signals. Total hemoglobin (tHb) concentration and tissue saturation index (TSI) signals were collected using NIRS for a continuous 5 mins at 10 Hz from the forearm of 55 participants (34 CKD including 5 with end-stage renal disease, and 21 age-matched control).

Feasibility of Multiparametric Perfusion Assessment in Diabetic Foot Ulcer Using Intravoxel Incoherent Motion and Blood Oxygenation-Level Dependent MRI.

Background: Patients with type-2 diabetes (T2DM) are at increased risk of developing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and experiencing impaired wound healing related to underlying microvascular disease.

Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity of intra-voxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) MRI to microvascular changes in patients with DFUs.

Study Type: Case-control.

Multi-frame biomechanical and relaxometry analysis during in vivo loading of the human knee by spiral dualMRI and compressed sensing.

Purpose: Knee cartilage experiences repetitive loading during physical activities, which is altered during the pathogenesis of diseases like osteoarthritis. Analyzing the biomechanics during motion provides a clear understanding of the dynamics of cartilage deformation and may establish essential imaging biomarkers of early-stage disease. However, in vivo biomechanical analysis of cartilage during rapid motion is not well established.

Age-related changes in human skeletal muscle microstructure and architecture assessed by diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging and their association with muscle strength.

Diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) offers objective measures of muscle characteristics, providing insights into age-related changes. We used DT-MRI to probe skeletal muscle microstructure and architecture in a large healthy-aging cohort, with the aim of characterizing age-related differences and comparing these to muscle strength. We recruited 94 participants (43 female; median age = 56, range = 22-89 years) and measured microstructure parameters-fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)-in 12 thigh muscles, and architecture parameters-pennation angle, fascicle length, fiber curvature, and physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA)-in the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris longus (BFL).

Sagittal alignment differences on the operating room table compared to preoperative and postoperative imaging in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

Study Design: The study design used was a retrospective cohort.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine if intraoperative improvements in sagittal alignment on the operating table persisted on postoperative standing radiographs.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical sagittal alignment may be correlated to postoperative outcomes.

Increased adiposity is associated with altered skeletal muscle energetics.

The objective of this pilot study was to characterize relationships between skeletal muscle energy metabolism and body composition in healthy adults with varied amounts and distribution of adipose tissue. In vivo muscle energetics were quantified using dynamic P magnetic resonance spectroscopy with knee extension exercise standardized to subject lean body mass. Spearman's correlation analysis examined relationships between muscle metabolism indices and measures of adiposity including body mass index (BMI), total body fat, and quadriceps intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT).

Does Postoperative Spine Infection Bacterial Gram Type Affect Surgical Debridement or Antibiotic Duration?

Study Design: This is a retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The aim was to evaluate differences in readmission rates, number of debridements, and length of antibiotic therapy when comparing bacterial gram type following lumbar spinal fusion infections.

Summary Of Background Data: Surgical site infections (SSIs) after spinal fusion serve as a significant source of patient morbidity.

Genicular Nerve Ablation Review Using Cooled-Radiofrequency Nerve Ablation.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is globally the most prevalent joint disease and causes patients great pain, limited joint mobility, and psychological distress. Short- and long-term therapies like steroid injections and arthroplasty exist, respectively. Joint arthroplasty can effectively treat symptomatic end-stage OA, but most patients do not go through with surgery because they are not qualified, have comorbidities, or do not wish to undergo surgery.

Sex differences in the relationships between body composition, fat distribution, and mitochondrial energy metabolism: a pilot study.

Background: Adiposity and mitochondrial dysfunction are related factors contributing to metabolic disease development. This pilot study examined whether in vivo and ex vivo indices of mitochondrial metabolism were differentially associated with body composition in males and females.

Methods: Thirty-four participants including 19 females (mean 27 yr) and 15 males (mean 29 yr) had body composition assessed by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Brain Activity During Experimental Knee Pain and Its Relationship With Kinesiophobia in Patients With Patellofemoral Pain: A Preliminary Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Investigation.

Context: The etiology of patellofemoral pain has remained elusive, potentially due to an incomplete understanding of how pain, motor control, and kinesiophobia disrupt central nervous system functioning.

Objective: To directly evaluate brain activity during experimental knee pain and its relationship to kinesiophobia in patients with patellofemoral pain.

Design: Cross-sectional.

What Is the Impact of Smoking on Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Posterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion?

Objective: The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the impact of smoking on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following elective posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCF).

Methods: Electronic medical records at a single institution were reviewed for patients undergoing elective PCF. Patients were grouped based on smoking history: current smokers, former smokers, and never smokers.

Pilot study for treatment of symptomatic shoulder arthritis utilizing cooled radiofrequency ablation: a novel technique.

Objective: To introduce cooled radiofrequency nerve ablation (C-RFA) as an alternative to managing symptomatically moderate to severe glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA) in patients who have failed other conservative treatments and who are not surgical candidates or refuse surgery.

Material And Methods: This prospective pilot study includes a total of 12 patients experiencing chronic shoulder pain from moderate to severe glenohumeral OA. Patients underwent anesthetic blocks of the axillary, lateral pectoral, and suprascapular nerves to determine candidacy for C-RFA treatment.

Review of Extraosseous Applications of Thermal Ablation in the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Large Joint Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease worldwide, leading to significant pain, restricted range of motion, and disability. A gap exists between short- and long-term symptom-relieving therapies. Although arthroplasty is an effective treatment for symptomatic end-stage disease, most patients ultimately do not receive a joint replacement due to suboptimal surgical qualifications, comorbidities, or an aversion to surgery.

Patients With Preoperative Cervical Deformity Experience Similar Clinical Outcomes to Those Without Deformity Following 1-3 Level Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The aim was to compare the outcomes of patients with incompletely corrected cervical deformity against those without deformity following short-segment anterior cervical decompression and fusion for clinically significant radiculopathy or myelopathy.

Summary Of Background Data: Cervical deformity has increasingly been recognized as a driver of disability and has been linked to worse patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) after surgery.

Cervical Alignment and Proximal and Distal Junctional Failure in Posterior Cervical Fusion: A Multicenter Comparison of 2 Surgical Approaches.

Study Design: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the surgical and radiographic outcomes of patients undergoing posterior cervical fusion (PCF) with constructs extending from C2 to T2 to patients with constructs extending from C3 to T1.

Summary Of Background Data: Limited evidence exists regarding the appropriate level of proximal and distal extension of PCF constructs.

Alternative treatment of hip pain from advanced hip osteoarthritis utilizing cooled radiofrequency ablation: single institution pilot study.

Objective: To establish the effectiveness of cooled radiofrequency ablation in managing hip pain from osteoarthritis at 6 months after receiving treatment in patients who failed conservative treatments and are not surgical candidates due to comorbidities or unwillingness to undergo arthroplasty surgery by targeting the femoral and obturator branches and assessing the degree of hip pain relief and change of function.

Materials And Methods: This prospective pilot study includes a total of 11 consecutive patients experiencing persistent chronic hip pain in the setting of advanced osteoarthritis. Patients initially underwent anesthetic blocks of the obturator and femoral nerve branches to determine cooled radiofrequency ablation candidacy.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Skeletal Muscle: Review and Future Directions.

Throughout the body, muscle structure and function can be interrogated using a variety of noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods. Recently, intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MRI has gained momentum as a method to evaluate components of blood flow and tissue diffusion simultaneously. Much of the prior research has focused on highly vascularized organs, including the brain, kidney, and liver.

Contribution of Intramyocellular Lipids to Decreased Computed Tomography Muscle Density With Age.

Skeletal muscle density, as determined by computed tomography (CT), has been shown to decline with age, resulting in increased frailty and morbidity. However, the mechanism underlying this decrease in muscle density remains elusive. We sought to investigate the role of intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) accumulation in the age-related decline in muscle density.

Shear wave elastography assessment and comparison study of the Achilles tendons in optimally conditioned asymptomatic young collegiate athletes.

Objective: To assess the functional parameters of the Achilles tendons among asymptomatic college level athletes using shear wave elastography (SWE) and to describe the relationship to athlete demographics and anthropometric lower extremity measurements.

Material And Methods: Sixty-five athletes were included in this IRB-approved study. SWE measurements were made on two tendon positions (neutral state and active maximum dorsiflexion) with two different probe orientations (longitudinal and transverse).

Parsimonious modeling of skeletal muscle perfusion: Connecting the stretched exponential and fractional Fickian diffusion.

Purpose: To develop an anomalous (non-Gaussian) diffusion model for characterizing skeletal muscle perfusion using multi-b-value DWI.

Theory And Methods: Fick's first law was extended for describing tissue perfusion as anomalous superdiffusion, which is non-Gaussian diffusion exhibiting greater particle spread than that of the Gaussian case. This was accomplished using a space-fractional derivative that gives rise to a power-law relationship between mean squared displacement and time, and produces a stretched exponential signal decay as a function of b-value.

Multi-component relaxation modelling in human Achilles tendon: Quantifying chemical shift information in ultra-short echo time imaging.

Purpose: To examine multi-component relaxation modelling for quantification of on- and off-resonance relaxation signals in multi-echo ultra-short echo time (UTE) data of human Achilles tendon (AT) and compare bias and dispersion errors of model parameters to that of the bi-component model.

Theory And Methods: Multi-component modelling is demonstrated for quantitative multi-echo UTE analysis of AT and supported using a novel method for determining number of MR-visible off-resonance components, UTE data from six healthy volunteers, and analysis of proton NMR measurements from ex vivo bovine AT. Cramer-Rao lower bound expressions are presented for multi- and bi-component models and parameter estimate variances are compared.

Safety and efficacy comparison of three- vs four-needle technique in the management of moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee using cooled radiofrequency ablation.

Purpose: To analyze the safety and efficacy of image-guided genicular nerve cooled radiofrequency ablation (C-RFA) for the treatment of pain in non-surgical candidates with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to compare three- vs four-needle technique.

Method: This retrospective study included 50 consecutive patients with pain from moderate to severe knee OA refractory to anti-inflammatory analgesia that failed multiple intra-articular lidocaine-steroid injections and who were non-surgical total knee arthroplasty candidates because of comorbidities. Patients initially underwent anesthetic blocks of the superior medial/lateral femoral and inferior medial tibial genicular nerve branches and in some cases the suprapatellar genicular nerve branch.